This invention relates to silverware baskets used in dishwashers, the baskets being of the type wherein the interior of the basket is divided into individual compartments.
The use of silverware baskets in dishwashers is well known. Generally the baskets have sufficient volume to hold a large number of pieces of silverware and are sub-divided into compartments by dividers to hold the silverware pieces in a generally vertical orientation. Walls of the basket are water-pervious to permit sprays of washing and rinsing liquid to impinge upon the silverware carried in the baskets and to drain away from the silverware, carrying foods particles therewith.
A particular style of silverware basket is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,953, assigned to the assignee of the present application, wherein the basket is comprised of a rear wall, sidewalls, a front wall and a bottom wall. The front wall is spaced from the rear wall by the side and bottom walls. A plurality of dividers project from the rear wall and extend to the front wall. The dividers also extend from the bottom wall to beyond the top of the front wall. The dividers each comprise a generally vertical sheet of material with a plurality of relatively small openings along a rear edge thereof to permit some liquid to pass from one compartment to another. The forward half of each of the dividers, however, is solid, thereby preventing passage of liquid at the front portion of the divider.
The washing and rinsing spray of water in a dishwasher is generally provided by a rotating spray arm which has one or more spray jets directed toward the area in which the silverware basket is positioned. In the arrangement wherein the silverware basket is positioned adjacent to or mounted on the openable door of the dishwasher, the use of solid wall dividers inhibits the free passage of wash and rinse water through the silverware basket and creates "shadow" areas which do not receive direct spray from the spray arm. Nevertheless, it is desirable to utilize dividers which extend between the front and rear walls and which provide a substantially solid horizontal barrier to prevent movement of silverware between the individual compartments.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,182,854 discloses the use of a silverware basket for a dishwasher which utilizes upper dividers which extend across the basket between opposing walls and sub-divide the basket into a number of compartments. At a bottom wall of the basket a plurality of upwardly extending projections in the form of tapered spikes provide a grid of discontinuous and relatively open dividers which would allow some movement of the silverware within and between the lower divider spikes. This movement of the silverware could cause increased noise levels during operation of the dishwasher.